Combos are empowering. We get to engage in creation whilst we play, even though that creation might have been an illusion carefully crafted by the designer. And we’ve all felt the desire to share our combo stories, but it’s never a story that lands well. Here’s why.
This might be the longest video we ever made and it might be about a series of some of the most complicated games in the world, but don’t let that scare you. In fact, I hope you take this video as an opportunity to disocver something that you’ve heard spoken about in card board shadows but never dared tip your toes. So dip your toes, my friend. Dip your toes.
Gloomhaven is our favourite game. And Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is perhaps even better. Big words, huh? In this video Efka walks you through not just what Gloomhaven is but also why this new standalone expansion is the best version of this game so far.
Barrage is one of last year’s euro-game darlings offering a compeling puzzle of water manipulation and, in a roundabout way, route building. In it, you’ll take on the role of countries in an alternate universe 1920s setting arming themselves for a hydrological race.
There’s a lot that’s compelling about Barrage. And it really shows that one of the co-designers is an actual hydrologist. But does it stand up to NPI scrutiny? Take a seat, pour yourself a cold glass of… water, and enjoy our review.
Oh no, there he goes again bashing another big Kickstarter board game, you might say. And you know what, you would be right. Cloudspire is so big and so indestructible (no, really) that it can take a big swing. But here’s the trick, frequently if you give large containers filled with various bits a good bashing - things will fall out. And sometimes those things might be amazing. So let’s see if this Kickstartosorous will leave a nugget of gold after you sift through it.
What makes Arkham Horror the Card Game so captivating? Perhaps it really is that good. Perhaps, like The King in Yellow, once you’ve experienced it you’ll just never be able to get away from it. Either way, we want to help you decide which parts are worth the entry cost. So we’ve sat through it. All of it. And here it is, act one of our Mega Review of Arkham Horror: The Card Game.
What a fantastic game! Accessible quick and riveting. The Crew is a small package card game that packs fun tighter than Jupiter’s density. Better yet, The Crew is a trick taking game - a genre of card games that is notoriously hard to explain but copious amounts of delight - and we’re happy to say that if you’ve never played a trick taking game before - this is the one to start with. We’ll let the video do the rest of the talking.
Is there life on Mars? Yes, there is. It’s you! And your life on mars is about to get more complicated than David Bowie’s catalogue.
On Mars is the latest board game installment from board game jugernaut duo Vital Lacerda and artist Ian O’Toole who are famed for making big boxes with big stress and chunky game. Is On Mars good enough to dig through all that snarl? Let’s find out.
This is just one of those videos that shouldn’t have a preface or an introduction. All you need to know is that Food Chain Magnate is beloved and Monopoly is beloathed. Go! Watch!
From the moment I opened my first pack I knew I would like KeyForge, the algorthimically procedurally generated collectible card game, but I never thought I’d love it. And look at us now!
If you’re wondering why NPI has never reviewed collectible card games (aside from the co-operative Arkham Horror) then here’s your answer: it’s complicated. The “I used to play a lot of Magic and sometimes competitively and then I quit” kind of complicated. I was so spent that I didn’t think there would ever be anything in collectible card games for me anymore.
I was wrong. So very wrong.
After 7th Continent we did not think we’d be intrigued in seeing another ‘continent composed of cards on your table’ open world board game but here we are. Better sharpen your scythes as you take on the role of hapless villagers trying to unravel a world-ending mystery so “dark” it’ll give Vantablack a run for it’s money.
Tainted Grail is everything “Kickstarter board games” but hyperbolized. The scope? If you want to finish this beast and have time to play some other board games in your life - better take all your annual leave at once. The bling? Let’s not mince words because Awaken Realms does not mince plastic - it’s all truly gorgeous. The cost? Actually, forget other board games - if you bought this - you can no longer afford them. Whether you should buy it is another matter altogether.
Hello, this is me, Elaine. And this year at Essen Spiel I’ve spent my board game budget on games that no one has heard of. Forget about your Barrages and Maracaibos - this is the final board game frontier. So saddle your nearest ship and come with me on this journey together as we wade through cardboard to find the one true undiscovered gem.
Buckle up, I’m about to utter some forbidden words. Rondel. Multi-purpose cards. Tableau building. Wait, don’t ring the police just yet because believe it or not that kind of Eurogame talk is not only legal, but very much abundant in Maracaibo.
In this spiritual sequel to the world’s most famous game about… cows, you’ll become a trader with a ship instead and spin around the Carribean like a mad beyblade, collecting resources and, in a shocking twist - building people out of cards? I can see you’ve already got a headache so let me soothe it with some video review balm.
An Irish Gouge, much like Bradd Pitt’s character in the movie Snatch, doesn’t sound like something very nice or Irish. Thankfully today we are not reviewing Irish Gouge, but Irish Gauge, a delightfully devious and quick train game with drumroll stocks!
That’s right, much like it’s dreaded bulky cousin - the 18xx genre - Irish Gauge combines the joy of stocks and auctions with laying track onto hexagons. But unlike it’s cousin, it manages to remain light and fluffy - like a coal powered meringue. Is it worth your time?
Today we have the pleasure and delight of shining a light on Sabotage, a strange strange design from board game extraordinaire Tim Fowers. Thematically, you’re either spies or supervillains fighting in a head to head game of cat and mouse. Mechanically… you’ve got a team asymmetrical hidden movement dice placement programming game which is something I had to learn to say out lout with confidence for this review. Does it all hold together or fall apart at the seams? Only one way to find out.
Tapestry! When you lose control and you get no bonus,
Tapestry! When the resource’s gone and you can’t go on it’s hard to be….
Wait, put down that pitchfork - this was a fine homage to a horrible song and admit it - deep down in your heart you liked it. Just like I had to admit that deep down in my heart I liked Tapestry, a civilization themed game that asks you to go up four tracks that will propel you as high up as space (and other human achievements). But, my oh my, I don’t think everyone will enjoy this trundle through history and as always, the hardest job falls on us - helping you figure out which camp you’re going to be on before you hit ‘purchase.’
If you were ever looking for a game that would irritatingly make you sing an altered version of The Penguin’s Earth Angel whilst your friends are tearing their hair out desperately trying to figure out how to most optimally sequence their moves - on paper Black Angel is it. Coming from a design trio most famous for Troyes, this 2-4 player game taking 2-3 hours won’t sit there quietly as its bright neon pinks purples and blues will dominate everyone’s attention on looks alone.
But if you’ve been listening to our podcast you might have already heard that this spaceship bearing box didn’t land so well with us. Why? Only one way to find out.
Fresh off the heels of us discussing this little gem on our podcast Efka is already ready with a video review. We’re going to keep it brief this time and point you straight to the video because the person behind the keyboard might or might not be crushed by a horrendous migraine right now. We can at least promise that this game is no headache!
If you came here to find out what exactly letter jam is, then I still have absolutely no idea. If however, you’re looking to find out more about Letter Jam then step right in. The doctor will see you now. What’s that? Feeling a little peaky? Have been feasting on a diet of empty calorie party games? I’m afraid we’ll have to make drastic changes to your diet. Here’s a prescription for one medicinal word party game from Czech Games Edition, the makers of Codenames et al. Take one at least once a week or more frequently. We have created an informational video with everything you’ll need to know. Who’s next?
Pipes! Many people wear them, but also, since 2019, they are an economic simulator. Truly, they are the most versatile kitchen utensil. Thankfully, Pipeline from Capstone Games comes with so many pipe tiles that it could easily win the award for “Guinness World Record of Board Game with Most Pipe Tiles,“ which as we all know is one of the less obscure Guinness World Records.
With so many pipes coming out of the wazoo, it’ll take none other than NPI to see if they all fit together neatly into a good board game.